Getting Serious

Marlo Thomas To Head Cast Of `Six Degrees Of Separation`

Marlo Thomas will star in the Chicago premiere of John Guare`s acclaimed hit ``Six Degrees of Separation`` beginning May 12 at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St.

Chicago veteran Ned Schmidtke is cast as a young man who passes himself off as Sidney Poitier`s son. Michael Leavitt, the talented director-producer whose Fox Theatricals is producing the show, will direct the dark comedy drama about the failure of human relationships in stressed-out New York. ``Six`` ran for almost two years at New York`s Lincoln Center and has won numerous awards. For decades a leading comic actress, Thomas has been making gradual inroads to more serious roles in recent years, including a

FOR THE RECORD - Additional material published March 20, 1992:Corrections and clarifications.In the ``Stage notes`` column of the March 19 Tempo section, the character that Ned Schmidtke will play in ``Six Degrees of Separation``at the Briar Street Theatre was incorrectly identified. He is not cast as a young man who passes himself off as Sidney Poitier`s son; he will play Marlo Thomas` husband. The Tribune regrets the error.

somewhat ill-received stint this winter as Martha in ``Who`s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?`` for the Hartford Stage in Connecticut.

She also played on Broadway in ``Social Security`` and at the Cleveland Playhouse in an acclaimed revival of ``The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the- Moon Marigolds.`` Her television and film career has earned her four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and a George Foster Peabody Award.

Tickets for ``Six`` go on sale March 26. For information: 312-348-4000.

- City Lit Theater will present Milwaukee writer Martha Bergland`s ``A Farm Under a Lake,`` about a private nurse driving an 81-year-old woman from Wisconsin to Illinois and their reminiscences, April 8 through May 17 at Live Bait Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St.

The production is an undertaking by City Lit`s Women`s Project. Kelly Thompson and Mark Richard, who adapted the play, will co-direct. For tickets: 312-271-1100.

- The Halsted Theatre Center will host a series of staged readings of new plays dubbed ``Bold Theatrical Encounters-One Night Stands,`` running one Sunday a month beginning this weekend at the theater, 2700 N. Halsted St.

Another of Blake`s works, ``Nighthawks,`` inspired by the Edward Hopper painting, will be unveiled in May by Circle Theatre in Forest Park.

- Court Theatre`s production of ``The Gigli Concert,`` directed by William Woodman and starring Jerome Kilty, Tony Mockus Sr. and Deanna Dunagan, has been picked up by the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. and will be presented beginning May 23 in Charleston, S.C.

Court`s staging of Tom Murphy`s play is a rare American outing of the work that was unveiled in Dublin in 1983 and was recently revived in London to wide acclaim. The drama is scheduled to run through March 29 at Court. For tickets: 312-753-4472.

- Blue Rider Theatre will host an arts conference involving 70 participants from Chicago`s arts community Monday through March 29 at 1822 S. Halsted St. It`s titled ``Where Do We Come From, Where Are We Going: A Conference on Multiculturalism in Chicago`s Performing Arts.`` Phone 312-733-4668.